Storage tank



R. R. WADDINGTO:l

STORAGE TANK Filed Aug. 3o, 1928 ww Q NN QN WN July 30, 1929.

Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES ROBERT R. WADDINGTON, OF ROSELLE, NEW JERSEY.

STORAGE TANK.

Application filed August 30, 1928.

This invention relates to an improvement in storage tanks or the like and more particularly to an improved sealing arrange- I ment to permit a large tank to be substantially gas or vapor tight, while allowing the necessary relative movement between the tank walls due to the expansion or contraction which commonly occurs as a result of the temperature changes to which a tank of this character is exposed.

The present invention is particularly directed to an arrangement providing an expansible and contractible joint between the roof or top wall of a large storage tank and l5 the side or vertical wall thereof. Due to the size of these tanks and to the wide range of temperatures to which they are ordinarily exposed, there is considerable variation in the dimensions thereof in accordance with surrounding temperature conditions. It has therefore proved difficult to make tanks of this character which will remain substantially vapor tight. The loss of the volatile constituents of the stored material, such for example as gasoline, may be quite high unless the storage tank is provided with sealing means to prevent the same. The present invention is particularly designed to afford sealing means of this character which may be associated with commonly used roofing materials and which may be arranged in the general plane of said materials so as to be in a protected position and to avoid ribs, projections or the like which may be easily damaged.' More specifically the invention is directed to an arrangement which permits the use of flexible folded material in order to providea substantially gas or vapor-proof seal. In accordance with this invention, one or more sheets of the folded flexible material may be turned back upon itself in order to provide superimposed laminae which may lie substantially in the plane of the roof covering and be protected by the outside layer of the same. When relative movement occurs between adjoining edges of the vertical and horizontal walls of the tank, the parallel superimposed portions move in relation to each other, such a movement being permitted by the flexible fold or folds therebetween.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. l is a sectional view through a joint between the vertical and horizontal walls of a storage tank provided with a seal con- Serial No. 302,968.

structed in accorda-nce with this invention;

Fig. 2 1s an enlarged view of the folded portions of the sealing sheets, these portions being more or less conventionally represented m order to afford clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of the portion of the joint which is associated with the eave flange.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and more particularly to Fig. l thereof, the numeral l designates the vertical wall of a storage tank which is provided with the usual outstanding angular member 2 providing an eave flange 8. The top wall et of the tank may comprise the conventional rafters which carry the ordinary wooden sheathing or deck boards 5. Any suitable layers of roofing material may be applied to the boarding 5. For example, the body portion of the roof may be covered with one or more layers of sized paper which are designated in general by the numeral 9. This paper may be covered with any suitable coating such as a silicate of soda solution. Preferably the paper layers, as designated by numeral 9, extend to the edge of the roofing 5.

Located above the edge of these layers are the flexible sealing sheets to which the present invention more particularly pertains. For example, the sheet l0, which may be formed of any Vsuitable flexible material such for example as a` suitably treated or impregnated canvas, a sheet of thin flexible metal, or any other suitable material of the desired characteristics, has its inner edge adhesively secured to the upper face of the paper layer 9, this portion of the sheet 10 being designated by numeral ll. Suitable fastening means such as nails 120 may also be applied to this portion of the inner sealing sheet. Outwardly of the edge portion 1l of the sheet, it is folded back upon itself as designated bythe numeral l2 to provide a plurality of superimposed laminae. Thus, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 2, there may be three layers of the Hexible material, the intermediate layer being connected to the upper and lower layers by the folds 13 and 14. The upper and lower laminas of the folded Vsheet portion which adjoin the folds are free from attachment to juxtaposed surfaces so that the relative movement between the laminae may occur, the flexibility of the folds permitting the same.

The upper layer of the folded portion of sheet 10 is continued to provide a downturned marginal portion 15, Fig. 1, that may be adhesively secured to the upper edge of the vertical wall 1 and preferably to the inner face thereof. For this purpose, l preferably first coat the inner face of the upper portion of wall 1, as well as flange 8 and 'the space therebetween with elastic cement designated by numeral 17, applying to this cementitious layer a suitable fabric strip 18 which has one margin ailiXed to the horizontal flange and the other margin ai'lixed to the adhesive coating upon wall plate 1. Preferably the sheets 10 and 18 are arranged between the edge of the boards 5 and the upper edge of the vertical `wall to provide a triangular recess that is filled with elastic cement 20, this cementitious material extending downwardly over the surface of sheet 18 to provide the adhesive coating to which the margin 15 of sealing element 10 is applied. 1f desired, a suitable paper layer 25 may be disposed upon the horizontal flange 8 before the fabric strip 1S is applied thereto.

Preferably a second sealing strip or sheet 30 is arranged above the sheet 10. Either or both of these sheets may be of substantially vapor-tight, flexible material. Sheet 30 preferably may have a marginal portion extending inwardly over the inner edge of the lower sheet and being adhesively ailined to the outer face of the paper layer 9 by a bituminous cement or the like. rl`he sheet 30 preferably includes a. folded intermediate portion 31 which is arranged outwardly of the similar folded portion of t-he sheet 10. The upper fold of sheet 30 is continued outwardly in a generally horizontal direction to substantially the outer edge of the flange 8. Preferably a suitable paper layer 51 may be disposed between the horizontal portion of sheet 18 and the adjoining face of the sealing strip 3() being extended to separate the latter from the elastic cement 20. Located inwardly of the folded portions of strips 10 and 30 may be alternate layers of roof sheeting, such as felt and plastic roofing material, such as an asphalt or bituminous composition designated by numerals 35 and 36, respectively. Disposed above the outer portion of sheet 30, 1 may provide a layer of more or less plastic cementitious material, for example an asphalt-asbestos composition designated by numeral 87. Superimposed upon the entire rooting assembly may be a layer of comparatively stilf roof sheeting 39, the edge portion thereof overlapping the flange 8 and being embedded in a layer L10 of plastic cementitious material arranged above flange 8.

It is evident that the vertical wall of the tank tends to move relatively to the adjoining edge of the top or horizontal wall l thereof and that the sealing means described above is effective in providing a subtsantially vapor tight oint while permitting such relative movement. lWhen movement of this character occurs, the superimposed layers of the sealing sheets tend to move relative to each other. Thus, for example, when the metal wall 1 moves away from thc'edge of the roof et, the flexibility of the sealing sheets permits the intermediate layer or run of the folded portion thereof to become shortened. rllhe edge of the comparatively stiff sheet material 89 which is arranged in the plastic cement 40 may move inwardly and outwardly in relation to the latter, which is arranged to provide a substantially moisture proof seal but which would not necessarily prevent leakage of vapor, the latter being prevented by the arrangement of the sealing sheets and the plastic cement. It is further evident that the arrangement of the folded sheets substantially in the plane of the roofing material and with the edge portions thereof in protected positions, i. e. directly above the horizontal flange 8 and affixed to the inner surface of the vertical wall provides an expansible. joint construction utilizing flexible sealing sheets which may he arranged in protected locations.

l claim:

1. A storage tank comprising walls in intersecting planes, a flexible 'sealing sheet connecting marginal portions of the walls, said sheet having edge portions secured to the walls and having an intermediate folded portion to permit ready relative movement between its edge portions.

2. A storage tank comprising walls in intersecting planes, a flexible sealing sheet connecting marginal portions of the walls, said sheet having edge portions secured to the walls and having a portion turned back upon itself to provide substantially parallel vsheet portions connected by a fold whereby relative movement between the sheet edges may readily occur.

3. A storage tank comprising walls in intersecting planes, a flange on one wall lying in the same general plane as the other wall, a flexible sealing strip between said walls, said strip having edge portions secured to t-he flange and to the adjoining part of the other wall, superimposed portions of the strip being arranged parallel to each other and connected by a fold, said parallel portions being movable relative to each other when the flange moves away from or toward the edge of the other wallv due to heat eXpansion and contraction.

4. A storage tank comprising a vertical wall and a top wall, a flexible sealing strip therebetween, said strip having edges connected to juxtaposed portions of the walls, said strip having a turned back aortion between substantially parallel portions, the planes of said portions extending in the same general direction as one of the walls.

5. A storage tank comprising a vertical wall and a top wall, a deXible sealing strip shet-s being substantially beside each other.

7. A storage tank Comprising Walls in interseoting planes, a iieXible sealing sheet Conneoting marginal portions of the Walls, said sheet having edge portions secured to the Walls and having an intermediate portion turned back upon itself to provide a multiplicity of substantially parallel sheet portions connected by folds whereby relative movement bet-Ween the sheet edges may readily 0ccur.

Signed by me at New York City this 28th day of August, 1928.

ROBERT R. WADDINGTON. 

